Automatic electric-winding clock.



U. S. KREIDER. AUTOMAHC ELECTRIC wmume 0100K.

APPUCATION HLEi) SEPT. m4.

Patented Jan. 4, has

a shins-sum 1 APPHCATION FILED SEPT. 1, 19M.

Patented Janf4, 1916.

3 SHEET'SSHEET 3.

UGAL S. KREIDER, E ARGAHUM, GHIO.

AUTOMATIC ELECTBIGWVINDING Application filed September i, 1314. Serial Flo.

l" 0 all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, ilo-AL Knninnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arcannin, in the county of Darheand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use fol Improvements in Automatic Electric- Vi inding Clocks, of which the followingv is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic-else tric Winding clocks and has for one of its objects to periodically utilize an electric source of power to rewind the clock when a predetermined amount of energy has been expended therefrom.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an electric motive agent which is in connection at all times with the clock mechanism, the actuation of said agent being completely controlled by the clock springs, thereby automatically closing an electrical circuit when a predetermined amount of energy has been expended from the springs, the circuit being automatically opened when the springs are rcwound.

A'further object of the invention is to use substantially the same clock mechanism common to standard makes of clocks. there by reducing the cost of manufacturing to a minimum, the clock mechanism being placed in connection with any desired type of motor. Y

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for rewinding both of the springs, common to an eight-day clock mechanism with which my improved device is adapted for association, the mechanism being in connection with only one of said springs, so as to actuate the mechanism as soon as a predetermined amount of energy has been expended from the spring, the operation of said mechanism closing the circuit and operating a power element, so as to simultaneously rewind both of said springs in the furtherance of replenishing the power desired in the operation of the clock. e

Other objects as Well as the nature. characteristic features and scope of my inventionwill be more readily understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims forming a part of this specification.

Referrin to the drawingsrear elevation. of a clock Y ci. being 1* Specification of Letters Eatent.

advantage the clock 1,.

'i atented an. lillifi.

of operation Fig. 2 is on the line ,1

for rewinding the springs. nsverse sectional View taken of. Fig. .2 illustrating i'iism. Fig. 25 is d fragmentary View of the a detailed device, illustrating the locking means by which the movement the floating her is limited. -il is detailed enlarged mental-y front elevational view oi? the trig ger means illustrating to advantage the manner in which the circuit automatically opened and. closed consistent with the actua tion of the clock springs; and. Fig. a detailed enlarged perspective vies of the means through which motion is imparted from the springs for controlling circuit.

In. the drawings wherein is illustrated tii preferred embodiment of this inention, cloclr 5 is provided, which in present in stance comprises an enlarged casing made oi wood or any other suitable material. and i the present instance is of a substantial y rectangular conliguratiom similar to I type of eightday clocks now in use.

Mounted in the casing and secured thereto in any suitable manner a clock frame 6 which has mounted therein parallel shafts 7 upon which are mounted enlarged gear wheels 8 and sp ing's 9. said shafts 7 being extended 'tlnroogh the f "time (i and being engaged with the rear wall of the casing as illustrated to advantage in ig. 2. A central shaft 10 extends from the clock face 11 to the rear Wall of the clock casing as is also shown to advantage in r and has mounted thereon an enlarged spur gear 12.

and a small. gear Wheel 13. The portions of the shaft"? whicn extend between the frame 6 and the inner face of the rear Wall of the casing have mounted thereon gear wheels 14 which are adapted for meshing engagement. with the gear Wheel 13 the central shaft 10, one, of said gears lat being relatively larger than the other and. being directly in meshwith the gear Wheel 13, while the other gear wheel i l engages iii mesh first with. a small wheel 15 "which communicates motion to stub shaft 16 upon which said gear Wheel 15 is mount-ed the shaft h farther provided with g which e "ages in sh with t 3.3,t merit to the s springs, ivli central she:

Motion is 1 p esent instance havinga cog wheel 19 asso ciated therewith with which is engaged a sprocket chain 20, the latter being engaged with the gear wheel 12 of the central shaft i19 thereby operating the latter when the electric motor is actuated. la order to operate the electric motor, when a predetermined amount of energy has been expended from the "springs 9, a mechanism is provided inthepresent instance comprising a pair of. rods 21 and 22, the former having the upper end 23 thereof bent into a semi-circular configuration and having a shoe 24: arranged on its terminal, the latter being engaged with one of the springs 9 as shown in Fig. 2. The opposite end of said rod 21 is detachably mounted in a recess in the upper end of a bar 26, the lower end ofthe latter being enlarged and of a circular contour as indicated at 27 and shown to advantage in Fig. 5, said circular end provided with an aperture 28 therein for a purpose which will subsequently appear. The rod 21 is held from displacement in therecess by a. set screw 29. The rod. is offset midway its ends as indicated at 30 in order to avoid interference with the rod 21, the upper end of said rod 22 being, likewise curved into a substantially semicircular configuration and having a shoe 31 arranged on its terminal. The lower end of the rod 22 is detachably mounted in' a recess formed in the upper end of a bar 32, being held therein from. displacement by a set screw The bar 32 is mounted in a frame 34 and is provided with a notch 35, the upper wallet which is beveled as shown to advantage in Fig. 3 for engagement with a trigger 36, the latter being fixedly mounted upon a rotatable drum 2-37, arms 38 extending: from the opposite ends of said drum, the terminals 89 of whichare offset. Une of the terminals 39 is engaged through the aperture 27 of the bar 26, and has threaded thereon a nut 40 in order to prevent the casual displacement of the bar 26 from said offset portion 39, at the same time permitting its expeditious removal when so desired. The opposite terminal 39 from that which is engaged with the bar 26 is pivotally engaged with an arm 41, the latter having a weight 42 mounted thereon. The free end of the arm 41 pends in an elongated transversely arranged slotin a guide member 45, as shown to advantage by the dotted lines in Fig. 3. One end of the guide 45 is secured to the frame 34, while the opposite end extends outwardly at right angles to the frame in superposed relation to one terminal of a resilient clip 44. The opposite terminal of said clip is secured to the base of the casing 5; by a. bolt 46; the latter likewise capacitating: as a binding post for one of the circuit Wires, as shown 0 by an'electric inotor 18, the latter in the memos head of the bolt 4-5 and completing an electrical circuit. The circuitjvires pass from the bolts 45 and 46 to the power element or electric motor 18, whereby when. the circuit is closed by pressing on the resilient clip ll so as to make the same contact with the bolt 45', the electric motor 18 will be operated.

In operation therefore assuming that a predetermined amount of energy has been expended from the spring 9 with which the shoes 24 and 31 are in engagement, it is seen that the elevation of the rods 21 and 22, caused by the expansion. of the s )ring, causes the bars 26 and 32 to be elevate consequently rotating the drum 3'? and permitting the arm ll to be operated through the aperture in the guide 45. The resilient clip 44, will consequently be pressed into engagement with the contact bolt 45, thereby closing the circuit so as to operate the motor in a manner heretofore described. During the elevation of the bars 26 and 32, the trigger 3G is being gradually advanced toward the bar 32, so that by the time the recess of the bar 32 is in alinelnent .with the upper end of the trigger 36, the latter will be forced into engagement with the marginal edge of thcbar 32. Consequently the trigger 36 will fall into the recess 35, in view of the right-angled configuration of the free end of said trigger 36, so as to limit the upward movement-of the bar 32, at the same time permitting the trigger 36 to be readily disengaged from said recess as soon as the springs have been rewound. In view of the configuration of the upper wall of the recess, removal of said right-angled end from the latter is permitted as soon as pressure is erted on the terminals 39 of thejinember 38. This phase of movement takes place when the springs 9 are rewound in view of weights -17 which are mounted on the rods 2land so as to cause the reverse rotation of the drum 37, thereby raising the arm 41 through the aperture in the guide 45 and allowing the circuit to. be opened, to render the motor l8 inoperative. Of course successive operations in this manner are permitted in view of the automatic working of the various parts of the invention as heretofore described.

it will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings coinprehend only the general. and preferred e1 bodiment of my invention and that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims and without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a plurality of clock springs, an automatic electric Winding clock including a plurality of rods pending from said springs and weighted to hold the rods snugly in engagement with the springs at all times, mechanism in connection with said rods and operated by the movement of the latter, means operable by the movement of the mechanism, to close an electrical circuit, a power element in the circuit, and means for operatively connecting the power element with said springs, for rewinding the latter when the circuit is closed.

2. A device as s ecified, includin a housing a. clock mechanism mounte in the housing comprising the usual train of gears and springs, a power element carried by the housing and in connection with said mechanism, rods, one end of each of which is in engagement with one of said springs, a frame arranged in the housing andin proximity to said power element, a shaft revolubly mounted in said frame and being in connection with said rods, and an arm carried by said shaft to close the electrical circuit for operating the power element for winding said springs.

3. An automatic electric winding clock including a clock frame, springs mounted in said frame, mechanism for rewinding said springs after a predetermined amount of energy has been expended therefrom including, in combination with a power element, a pair of rods in engagement with one of said springs and being vertically movable when the latter is expanded, a drum in connection withsaid rods adapted to be rotated when the latter are raised by the expansion of the spring, an arm carried by said drum for I closing an.electrical circuit to operate said power element, when said rods are elevated a predetermined dista cc, and means assoc1- ated with said drum for limiting the upward movement of said rods.

4. An automatic electric winding clock including a clock frame, springs mounted in saidframe, a power element arranged 1n proximity to said springs and being in con-f nection with the latter to simultaneously rewind the same when the power element is operated, rods, one end of each of which is -a trigger carried by said means and automatically actuatable by the initial movement of said rods to limit the subsequent movement of the latter.

An automatic electric clock winding mechanism including a clock frame, springs mounted in said frame, a power element in connection with said s rings for simultaneously rewinding the latter, means for operating said power element whereby said springs are periodically rewound, including a pair of rods, one end of each of which is in engagement with one of said springs, adrum rotatably mounted in proximity to said power element, and associated therewith to operate the latter at times by the movement of said drum, the opposite ends of said rods being in engagement with said drum one of which operates the latter by the expansion of the spring and means carried by said drum for engagement with the other of 1 said rods to limit the upward movement of both'of the latter, and being automatically disengaged therefrom when said rods are lowered, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

UCAL S. KREIDER.

Witnesses HENRY LAYER, SARAH LAYER. 

